Parker's+letter

June 13, 1866

Dear Uncle Jonathon,

If you have just heard of the recent catastrophic accident with the Steamboat Sultana, I bet you are worried sick about me. But I am ok. A nice family has volunteered to help me get better. The family is light-hearted and friendly. Luckily the town where the family is is about 20 miles from Memphis.

When I was on the boat, I noticed that there was a giant amount of people. It looked like there were thousands of people. And when the boat stopped at Memphis, at least 450 more people on got on board! I wanted to tell everyone that this was dangerous but there where way too many people on board and none of the people could hear me over the moans of the injured solders. Then at a split second I heard a sharp crack noise then a rumble. Then I realized that a cloud of flaring fire had engulfed all the people in the area. Then steam and red hot coal flew everywhere. A fragment of red-hot coal hit my shoulder like one of those civil war cannons.

I fell back and hit my head on the wooden promenade. Then I blacked out. When I woke up, I heard more moaning solders but, I also heard frantic voices. Then I turned my head to see people running back and forth, carrying buckets of river water and pouring it on a giant fire that was monumental and was spreading fast. I got up and then I noticed my injury. There was a large gash in my arm that burned and hurt. The coal fragment was still in my arm. I then noticed that my shoulder had been dislocated. The sight of the dislocation shocked me. I then was frantic. I screamed and bellowed. But no one bothered to help me. To them, I was another injured passenger. I tried to get up but the agonizing pain wouldn’t let me move at all. I looked over the deck to see Memphis slowly passing by. I realized that the boat was going downstream instead of upstream. The engine had been destroyed. When the helpless boat hit a small island I fell overboard and blacked out when I hit the water. I woke up on the shoreline. I just waited for hours I thought I was going to die! Finally, a horse-driven-carriage came to my rescue.

I was taken to the generous family. I am getting better. My shoulder is healing and the coal had been taken out by the town doctor. I hope you can come soon. Love, Parker Vanamee

Dear Parker Vanamee, June 17, 1866

I am so happy to hear that you are safe and with a light-hearted and friendly family. Everybody is worried sick about you. I am so glad that their house is 20 minutes from Memphis so it is not a long trip to get you. I am glad that you tried to tell the people that it wasn't safe for 450 more people to come on, when there was already a handful. It was brave of you to do that. I wonder who took you to the shore. I thought most people on the boat were injured from the war. How many other people were back on shore when you woke up? I bet there was not a lot. Did the family just take you or were there more people? That family sounds so nice and thoughtful. I hope your shoulder and arm is feeling better. I wonder if the fire that was monumental and spreading fast got you or if something sharp fell and scraped it. I hope you can wait 20 more minutes because that's how long it might take me to come and get you. I don't know exactly where the house you are at is but I can probably find my way. Maybe you can put something on the mailbox or yard to show me that you are there. It might take me 10 or 20 more minutes to find you. In all you have to wait 40 minutes at the most. From, Uncle Jonathon